Nail pulling assistant



June 23, 1964 J. c. CORY ETAL 3,138,364

NAIL PULLING ASSISTANT Filed Nov. 20, 1963 James 6. Cory James W Cory 1N VENTORS I 3,138,364 Patented June-23, 1964 Filed Nov. 20, 1963, Ser. No. 324,972

' 7 Claims. (Cl. 25426) This invention primarily relates to an attachment to be placed on top of an ordinary hammer, in order to assist the user in pulling driven nails from a surface.

It is the primary object of this invention to disclose an attachment for a hammer which is used to increase the leverage effect when pulling a nail from a surface by providing a fulcrum for the hammer on the surface about which the hammer can be pivoted when removing the nail from said surface.

Another object of this invention resides in the provision of means for adjusting the height of said fulcrum providing means so that the same leverage effect may be maintained regardless of how far the nail has been pulled from the surface into which it has been driven.

Yet another object of this invention resides in the provision of an attachment for a hammer of the character indicated which is easily positioned and rigidly held on the top of the hammer and whichincludes means for attaching the device to different sizes of hammer heads.

A still further object of this invention resides in its simplicity of construction, efficiency in use for its intended purposes and ready adaptability to commercial produc tion.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the attachment or nail pulling assistant mounted upon the head of a conventional hammer.

FIGURE 2 is a side view in elevation of the hammer and nail pulling assistant illustrating the use of the assistant while removing a nail from a surface into which it has been driven.

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along the plane indicated by the line 3--3 of FIGURE 1 with the hammer shown in elevation for purposes of clarity.

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along the plane indicated by the line 4--4 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of the attachment or nail pulling assistant and illustrating the manner in which the height of the fulcrum providing means may be adjusted.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the nail pulling assistant comprising the subject matter of the instant invention is generally designated by the numeral and may be mounted on top of the head 12 of a conventional hammer generally designated by the numeral 14. The hammer 14 comprises a driving nose 16 for embedding nails within a surface and a claw 18 for removing driven nails. The nail pulling assistant 10 comprises a hollow, substantially rectangular parallelopiped body portion 20 which is adapted to be seated on top of the hammer between the nose 16 and the claw 18 as shown in FIG- URE 1.

Welded or otherwise suitably secured to the front wall of the hollow body portion 20 is an L-shaped plate 22. Riveted to the horizontal leg 24 of the L-shaped plate 22 is a substantially U-shaped spring clip 26 which is adapted to seat over the nose 16 of the hammer 14 and to aid in retaining the hollow body portion 20 upon the hammer head 12. Also depending from the hollow body portion 20 is a substantially U-shaped clamping element 28 sw1velly mounted in a pair of opposed apertures 30 in opposite side walls of the hollow body portion 20. Intermediate portions of the legs of the U-shaped clamping element 28 are split and are threaded as indicated at 32 and are connected by means of a pair of turnbuckles, such as 34. The bight portion 36 of the U-shaped clampmg element 28 is adapted to be placed beneath the claw 18 of the hammer 14 and the turnbuckles may be tightened to draw the bight portion 36 up taut beneath the claw. By means of this clamping element 28, and the adjusting turnbuckle 34, the attachment or nail pulling assistant 10 may be disposed upon any size head of a conventional hammer 14.

As shown in the drawings, the back wall of the hollow body portion 10 is undercut as shown at 40 to provide a seat for the attachment on the hammer head 12. Pivotally mounted between the side walls of the hollow body portron 10 by suitable means such as a pin or a pair of screws is an elongated plate 44 forming means for providing a fulcrum about which the hammer may pivot while removing a nail from the surface. The rear edge of the elongated plate 44 is tapered as shown at 46 for providing the requisite contact line with the surface about which the hammer is pivoted. The undersurface of the elongated plate 44 is undercut as shown at 48 in order to provide a seat for the elongated plate 44 upon the upper rim 42 of the hollow body portion 20. The rim 42 has tapered side edges whereby when the elongated plate 44 is pivoted to a position wherein the undercut portion 48 rests upon the rim, the top surface of the plate 44 will be substantially horizontal.

A slidable prop 50 is provided for adjusting the height of the elongated plate 44 with respect to the hollow body portion. This will enable the fulcrum and leverage effect when the hammer is being used to pull nails to be maintained as the nail head is pulled further away from the surface to which it is attached. The prop 50 comprises a single piece of wire doubled back upon itself disposed within a notch or groove 52 cut in the under-surface of the elongated plate 44. A fastener comprising a laterally extending plate 54 positioned across the notch as shown in FIGURE 5 and attached to the elongated plate 44 by means of a threaded fastener such as 56 allows the prop 50 to he slid with respect to the elongated plate 44 and hollow body portion 20 but prevents its removal from the notch 52. As shown in FIGURE 3, the prop 50 is of a shorter length than said notch 52 and the elongated plate 44 whereby the prop may be completely enclosed within the hollow body portion 20 when the plate 44 is seated upon the rim 42. However, as illustrated in FIGURE 2, the prop 50 may be slid to a position beyond the rim of the body portion 20 and seated thereon. The rear portion of the prop 50 comprises a downturned hook portion 56 which will prevent collapse of the adjusted position of said elongated plate. When the prop 50 has been so extended to seat on the rim 42, the elongated plate 44 will be raised for the purposes given.

Referring to FIGURE 2, the use of the device should be readily apparent. The nail 60 may be removed from the surface 62 to which it has been driven by placing the nail head between the claw 18 of the hammer. The tapered edge 46 of the elongated plate 44 is positioned on the surface 62 to form a contact fulcrum line. The hammer may then be pivoted in the direction of the arrows as indicated to pull the nail from the surface 62. As the nail 60 moves away from the surface 62, in order to maintain the leverage effect the elongated plate 44 may be pivoted upwardly and the prop 56 may be slid and engaged over the rim 42 of the hollow body portion 10. Then the removal of the nail may be completed in the manner just described, and the tapered edge 46 once again makes sufficient contact with the surface 60 to provide a fulcrum for pivoting the hammer.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to falling within the scopeof the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In combination with a hammer including a driving nose and a claw for removing driven nails from a surface, a nail pulling assistant for providing a fulcrum about which the hammer and claw may pivot while engaged with the head of a nail comprising a hollow body portion adapted to be seated on the top of the hammer between the nose and the claw, means depending from the body portion for attaching the same to the nose and claw of the hammer, fulcrum providing means pivotally mounted on said hollow body portion and means for adjusting the height of said fulcrum providing means with respect to said hollow body portion, said last named means including prop means slidably disposed on said fulcrum providing means and slidable with respect to said hollow body portion, engageable over an edge of the rim thereof.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said attachment means includes a spring clip engageable over the nose of the hammer and a vertically adjustable clamping element engageable beneath the claw of the hammer.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein said vertically adjustable clamping element includes a pair of manually operable turnbuckles.

4. The combination of claim 1 wherein said fulcrum providing means includes an elongated plate having a tapered edge.

5. The combination of claim 4 wherein said plate includes an elongated notch cut in one surface thereof adjacent the hollow body portion, said prop means being slidably retained within said notch.

6. The combination of claim 5 wherein the tapered edge of the elongated plate is adapted to seat on an edge of the rim of said hollow body portion to define one position of use of said nail pulling assistant, said prop means being of a shorter length than said notch and plate whereby said prop means may be enclosed within said hollow body portion in said one position but may be slid to a second position of use engageable over the edge of said rim to thereby raise said tapered edge of said elongated plate ofi? its seat on the edge of said rim.

7. The combination of claim 6 wherein said prop means includes a downturned hook at one end thereof engageable over the edge of the rim of said hollow body portion to prevent collapse of the adjusted position of said elongated plate.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,110,057 Schewer Mar. 1, 1938 2,539,860 Ralston Jan. 30, 1951 2,553,102 McLean May 15; 1951 2,879,030 Loretitsch Mar. 24, 1959 

1. IN COMBINATION WITH A HAMMER INCLUDING A DRIVING NOSE AND A CLAW FOR REMOVING DRIVEN NAILS FROM A SURFACE, A NAIL PULLING ASSISTANT FOR PROVIDING A FULCRUM ABOUT WHICH THE HAMMER AND CLAW MAY PIVOT WHILE ENGAGED WITH THE HEAD OF A NAIL COMPRISING A HOLLOW BODY PORTION ADAPTED TO BE SEATED ON THE TOP OF THE HAMMER BETWEEN THE NOSE AND THE CLAW, MEANS DEPENDING FROM THE BODY PORTION FOR ATTACHING THE SAME TO THE NOSE AND CLAW OF THE HAMMER, FULCRUM PROVIDING MEANS PIVOTALLY MOUNTED 